China Daily Says 3D Printing is Booming in China

A detailed article that just appeared online on China Daily, the leading English language newspaper in China, with over 45 million readers worldwide, is analyzing 3D printing on the Chinese market, finding that its adoption is literally booming in just about every segment of manufacturing, from biomedical, to aerospace to education.

China’s many industries, fields of human endeavor are utilizing a well-developed ecosystem to embrace the new technology. The article starts from a brain surgery operation that took place in Beijing recently. The operation involved covering the patient’s brain with ReDura, a 3D printed membrane, by experts at Peking University Third Hospital.

Yuan Yuyu, chairman of Medprin, said: “Brain surgery incisions used to be covered with membrane made up of animal-sourced materials, which exposes patients to risks of disease transmission. It also takes a long time for these animal tissues to be fully integrated into patients’ own tissues, which prolongs suffering.”

ReDura, which is created using 3D bioprinting machines, is made up of a biodegradable material. The membrane’s “custom-made biomimetic structure” resembles that of the “microstructure of the native dural matrix”, which provides an “appropriate scaffold” for the “proliferation of cells” to “rapidly repair the defective area”. ReDura has received the approval of the China Food and Drug Administration and gained acceptance in the European Union.

The China Daily article also reports on other Chinese companies that have made rapid advances in additive manufacturing. Another impressive example in the aviation sector is the C919, China’s first large passenger jetliner, which features 3D printed components that help reduce its weight and shorten the delivery schedule. The plane made its maiden flight earlier this year.

Wang Peng, secretary-general of the Additive Manufacturing Alliance of China or AMAC, told China Daily that after years of development, 3D printing is entering a new phase in China, from an innovative concept to something quite helpful in upgrading manufacturing plants, hospitals and even classrooms.

“3D printing is booming. We have cultivated a relatively good industrial system, with manufacturing techniques close to, or on a par with, leading foreign countries. The sector is leaping from laboratory research into industrial applications,” Wang said.

“The technology represents the future direction of intelligent manufacturing as it combines the advantages of large-scale production with personalized manufacturing. It is highly efficient and cost-effective,” said Zuo Shiquan, a manufacturing expert at the Beijing-based China Center for Information Industry Development, a research institute affiliated to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology or MIIT.

China’s 3D printing industry is expected to reach $7.68 billion in output value, or one-third of the global market by 2020, according to a forecast by the China Industry Information Institute. The MIIT is drafting a 2017-20 plan to accelerate the development of 3D printing. It established the National Innovation Center by forging extensive partnerships between universities and companies. The idea is to help address technological bottlenecks that impede commercial applications of 3D printing.

Not surprisingly, companies such as Shining 3D Tech Co Ltd, a Hangzhou-based 3D printing specialist, are optimistic about the sector. Shining has already provided 3D printing and scanning services to over 10,000 customers worldwide. Its clients include global corporate icons such as Intel Corp, Robert Bosch GmbH and Adidas.

Huang Xianqing, senior vice-president of Shining 3D, said 3D printing can meet consumers’ growing demand for environmentally friendly and personalized products. The company has successfully applied its 3D printing techniques to manufacture exhaust pipes for Ford cars. Different from traditional exhaust pipes whose simple design leads to bad air flow and huge power loss, the company’s 3D-printed pipes weigh 67 percent less. They can also help vehicles change airflow speed of the car engine, which saves energy.

It’s not just high-tech or top-end segments that are embracing 3D printing. In Beijing’s suburban Huairou district, Chinese engineers in an economic and development park are scrambling to make 3D printers that can churn out household items. The engineers are employed by about 300 companies in the zone, among which is Beijing Tiertime Technology Co Ltd, China’s first 3D printer exporter.

Tiertime Tech sells tens of thousands of 3D printers to more than 40 countries every year. Its 150-plus staff print products ranging from toys and cartoon figures to mobile phone shells and home decor. Luo Jun, secretary of the World 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance, said China needs to step up research and development on the “ink” for 3D printers (that is, material with stable qualities).

“Nickel-based alloy, cobalt chromium alloy and engineering plastics resistant to high temperature and high strength haven’t been mass-produced. Some materials used for additive manufacturing are mostly imported items. This could restrict applications of 3D printing,” Luo said.